Elderly cat suddenly jumpy

My 19 year old cat is acting strangely today. She normally greets me with lots of noise when I get up. This morning, she seems to be jumping at everything. She didn't greet me until I called her and even the slightest noise makes her jump and run. She has also taken to staying in the linen closet. She just isn't acting anything like herself today. What can be wrong?

Reply Hiwell it could be the onset of dementia as she is an elderly cat. Cats too can suffer from age related illness and this can cause them to become distant or even confused. Please see this page on my site for more on senior cats problems